Sunday, December 20, 2015

DOLE helps teacher get due retirement pay

DAGUPAN CITY – The Department of Labor and Employment’s (DOLE) Single Entry Approach or SENA has enabled a grade school teacher for 36 years to get enough retirement compensation.

Rosita Javier, 60, worked as an elementary teacher for 15 years at a catholic school in Dagupan City before retiring as a principal from the same school.

Disbelief overcame Javier when the school director presented to her a computation of her separation pay. She thought the amount was too small for the long years of dedicated service she spent in the educational institution.

To resolve the issue between her and her former employer, she sought the assistance of the DOLE-Dagupan Field Office. After learning her correct monetary entitlement, she decided to file a request for assistance with the office on September 2.

On the second conference regarding her request on October 27, Javier and her former employer agreed to amicably settle, resulting in the payment of her separation pay in the amount of P80,000.

“My heartfelt gratitude to DOLE in helping me amicably settle with my former employer regarding the correct computation of my separation pay. Keep up the good work,” Javier said as she thanked the labor agency for the assistance.

DOLE-1 Regional Director Grace Ursua said the purpose of the SENA is not to assign fault, nor take side with either of the parties.

“Its end goal is to ensure that both parties settle their issues within the bounds of applicable labor laws to ensure more harmonious relationships essential in maintaining industrial peace in the region,” Ursua said.

“Again, I commend Engracio Bailon, head of the DOLE-Dagupan field office, and his staff for rising up to the task of making both our workers and employers understand and trust in our SENA process. Workers and employers who choose to concede to reasonable and peaceful resolution of their disputes are also worthy of praise,” she added.

The SENA is a 30-day mandatory conciliation-mediation of all labor issues to prevent them from ripening into full-blown labor cases. Through the process, parties are assisted in coming up with an agreement for the amicable settlement of their labor issues, thereby sparing them from the more expensive, stressful and tedious process of adversarial hearings. (PIA-1, Pangasinan/DOLE)